Entertainment

Torvill and Dean confirm they have ‘no plans’ to step back from Dancing On Ice

Reports speculated that the duo would leave their roles as judges on the show after announcing they were retiring from skating together.

Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean have confirmed they have ‘no plans’ to step back from Dancing On Ice after retiring from skating together in 2025
Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean have confirmed they have ‘no plans’ to step back from Dancing On Ice after retiring from skating together in 2025 (Ian West/PA)

Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean have confirmed they have “no plans” to step back from Dancing On Ice after retiring from skating together in 2025.

The British ice skaters announced on Wednesday, the 40th anniversary of their Olympic gold success, that they would be stepping back from skating after embarking on one last UK tour next year.

Following the news, reports speculated that the duo from Nottingham would also leave their roles as judges on ITV’s Dancing On Ice after the current series.

Ice skaters Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean on a visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina to mark the 40th anniversary of winning gold medals at the 1984 Winter Olympics
Ice skaters Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean on a visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina to mark the 40th anniversary of winning gold medals at the 1984 Winter Olympics (Victoria Jones/PA)

In a joint statement by Torvill and Dean shared to the PA news agency, they said: “Our 2025 ‘retirement’ – which will follow our UK tour – will purely be from ice skating.

“As we said in Sarajevo earlier this week, we will continue to work together away from the ice.

“We have no plans to step back from Dancing On Ice and hope that the series continues for years to come.”

The pair wrote their names in British sporting history at the 1984 Winter Games following their routine to Ravel’s Bolero at the Zetra Olympic Hall in Sarajevo.

The intense performance sparked a standing ovation inside the arena and perfect scores of 6.0 were awarded from the 12 judges.

Torvill and Dean in the gymnasium that now stands at the location of the Zetra Olympic Hall ice rink, where they won their gold medals at the 1984 Winter Olympic Games
Torvill and Dean in the gymnasium that now stands at the location of the Zetra Olympic Hall ice rink, where they won their gold medals at the 1984 Winter Olympic Games (Victoria Jones/PA)

They later branched out into touring, coaching and choreographing before becoming the faces of ITV’s Dancing On Ice, which ran from 2006 until 2014.

The pair later became head judges on the show when it was revived in 2018 and currently sit on the panel alongside Diversity star Ashley Banjo and former Strictly Come Dancing professional Oti Mabuse.

Torvill and Dean are set to embark on an upcoming tour – Torvill & Dean: Our Last Dance – before hanging up their skates.

The shows, which will run from April 12 to May 11, 2025 and include dates in London, Belfast, Newcastle and Glasgow, will celebrate 50 years since they formed their skating partnership in 1975.